Jeremiah 52

August 31

Jeremiah 52

"It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence." (Jeremiah 52:3, NIV)

 The book of Jeremiah ends with Jerusalem destroyed and the temple dismantled and the precious metal that adorned the temple being carried off to Babylon. The anger of the Lord came to fruition, as He had promised, because the people refused to turn back to Him. God removed the people from His presence and from the land He had promised to give to the descendents of Abraham so many years before.

 Outward appearances looked like Jerusalem and Judah was finished. No nation after being completely destroyed comes back to existence. But God sent Judah out with a promise. He promised that a day would come when He would restore her. He promised a day would come when He would return them to the land. He promised He would use gentiles, just as He used them to exile them, to bring them back to the land.

 To look at Jerusalem, it looked hopeless. The book of Jeremiah ends with the king of Babylon releasing and showing kindness to Jehoiachin, king of Judah. He put away his prison clothes and sat at the kings table. When things look hopeless in our lives; when it seems like our sin has taken us further than we wanted to go and we feel like we have been thrust from the presence of God, we can know that He is still there. His promises are still true. If we will turn to Him, He will extend His grace and invite us to put away our prison clothes, to put away our life of sin, and to come and sit at His table and eat with Him.

 

 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20, NIV)